Obesity is an epidemic that has become the leading preventable cause of death worldwide. Authorities internationally view obesity as one of the most serious public health problems of the 21st century. In 2013, the American Medical Association classified obesity as a disease. Generally, obesity is the condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that adversely affects morbidity and mortality. In the United States, obesity is estimated to cause between 112,000 and 365,000 deaths per year and reduces life expectancy by approximately six to seven years. Comorbities such as type-2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome are characterized by glucose intolerance, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, and high triglyceride levels.
Health complications are either caused directly by obesity or indirectly through related mechanisms sharing a common cause, such as poor diet and/or sedentary lifestyle. Health complications fall into two major categories, including those caused by the increased fat mass or an increased number of fat cells. Osteoarthritis and obstructive sleep apnea are examples of complications due to increased fat mass. Diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease are examples of complications due to increased number of fat cells.
Despite public health efforts to understand and correct environmental factors contributing to obesity, extensive research into understanding the factors contributing to the disease, and significant efforts to develop pharmaceutical and surgical treatments, obesity remains a significant public health and policy issue. Indeed, World Health Organization predicts that obesity may soon replace more traditional public health concerns such as under nutrition and infectious disease as the most significant cause of poor health. Given this, there exists a long-felt and unmet need to provide treatments for obesity and related disorders.